HErZ Summer School 2024

Modern Methods for Atmospheric Profiling

A hands-on course for Master students and early-stage PhD candidates

Key Information

• Summer school core time: two weeks, 12.–23. August 2024 at the Jülich Observatory for Cloud Evolution (JOYCE) located at Forschungszentrum Jülich
• You will work together with 2–3 people on a distinct research question related to atmospheric profiling. See the list of projects for details.
• There will be  key-note lectures, discussion rounds, BBQs and other joint activities and a concluding “summer school conference” with a poster session where each group presents their findings.
• Participation is free of charge, including arranged accommodation, but travel and general provisions must be paid for by the participants themselves.
• For Master students: the summer school is valued with 6 ETCS. Students from Cologne and Bonn register for the METFUT II module. Participants from other HErZ partner universities, please coordinate with your student advisory service how the course can be credited.
• For PhD-students: we will inform you about the success of your application until April 12.
• Preparatory seminar starting April 15  16:00 CEST (hybrid, Köln/Bonn), more info after registration; then bi-weekly, Mondays, 16:00 (hybrid) in subgroups (with your advisors) to prepare the individual projects for the campaign
• In case of questions, feel free to contact us via the email address above.

Background

The summer school is carried out jointly by the University of Cologne (Institut for Geophysics and Meteorology) and the University of Bonn (Institute for Geosciences, Section Meteorology) and funded within the Hans-Ertel-Center for Weather Research (HErZ). HErZ is a collaborative research initiative between the German Weather Service (DWD) and German partner universities.

Within the HErZ HIRES-APP project, two campaigns VITAL (Vertical profiling of the Troposphere: Innovation, opTimization and AppLication) I & II will take place at Forschungszentrum Jülich (August 2024), respectively in the Aachen-Bonn-Cologne-Jülich (ABC/J) region (Summer 2026)

The focus of VITAL I  is on the vertical structure of the troposphere to contribute to filling the observational gap of wind, water vapor and temperature profile observations in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer. Novel, state-of-art  measurement techniques will be tested, evaluated and compared to each other. VITAL I will take place at JOYCE and profit from the available measurement infrastructure.  JOYCE is an ACTRIS National Facility and a central part of CPEX-LAB — Center for Cloud and Precipitation Exploration Laboratory within the Geoverbund ABC/J.

VITAL I will integrate the summer school for atmospheric profiling aiming at young HErZ researchers from the Master to PhD-level. Within a time period of two weeks, we will offer introductory lectures, hands-on-training, data analysis and support for a medial presentation of the results. Training is offered on passive remote sensing (microwave radiometer, infrared interferometer), active remote sensing (Doppler lidar, water vapor lidar), UAS (Uncrewed Aircraft System — drone) profiling,  turbulent flux observations, atmospheric radiation,  aerosol profiling, satellite profiling, radiosonde sounding as well as  model/data evaluation. Participants will be able to choose their own research projects after the first preparatory seminar on April 15.

Photo: Matteo Bramati